Monday, August 12, 2013

Frederick Elisha Baker, the son of Ezra and Jennie (Dexter) Baker was born in Lynn, July 13, 1853, and died in Windham, N. H., July 1, 1915.

After a course in the public schools of Lynn he entered Wilbraham Academy. During most of his life he made his home in his native city, though he resided for a time in Somerset, Mass., and in Windham, New Hampshire.

Mr. Baker was widely and most favorably known from his connection with the real estate and insurance business and his sound judgment on all matters pertaining to this business was generally recognized. For many years he was associated with his father as Ezra Baker & Son ; then as Baker, Marshman & Baker; but, upon the death of his father, the firm became merged into the company of Silsbee, Baker & Geer; later as Silsbee, Baker, Geer & Ingalls, which became by far the strongest of its kind in Lynn.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

As we head towards the holidy season, candy companies are also entering one of their biggest seasons. In addition to making the candy, the firms also need to worry about packaging. Over 110 years ago, Rochester Candy Works ordered a lot of waxed paper from The Hammerschlag Manufacturing Company in Garfield, New Jersey, which shipped the lot by rail via the Erie Railroad to Rochester, N. Y.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

International Pulp was first featured on this site back in June 2012. International Pulp, like many forest products firms, also engaged in other industries that took advantage of their large land holdings. In this way Internatinoal Pulp became an asbestos firm.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

International Paper's +50 year old brand logo designed in the early 1960s by Lester Beall. Organized in 1898 of of sixty smaller paper firms, the company continues today as the largest paper and pulp company in the world. The company is based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

There is little history available to me on Mr. Simpson and his company, save for the report of a legal case between owners of the firm Samuel Simpson & Company in the 1901 Pennsylvania State Reports.

Samuel Simpson & Company was reported to be in the business of importing and selling goat skins and other merchandise at 429 North Third Street in Philadelphia.

Due to legal issues in a firm in which a J. Harry Lyons was involved, he could not become a partner in a new firm. Samuel Simpson & Company was established when the mother of J. Harry Lyons, Elizabeth J. Lyons, established a firm with Mr. Samuel Simpson in which J. Harry Lyons would be employed with a salary.

The firm Samuel Simpson & Company would be reasonably successful, but with the end of the partnership in March 1899, Mr. Simpson treated Mr. Lyons as his true partner and refused to open the books of the firm to Elizabeth Lyons. Hence the court case ensued.

By the date of this cancel in August 1899 it is clear that some aspects of the firms operation were still underway after March 1899.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Check of the Farmers & Mechanics National Bank of Georgetown, District of Columbia from Joseph B. Bailey dated July 1, 1898, the first day of the Spanish-American War tax period.

Completed in 1922 in the heart of Georgetown at the corner of M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, this neoclassical building was once the home of the Farmers & Mechanics National Bank. It became a branch of the Riggs Bank for years, and is now a branch for PNC Bank.

"Joseph B. Bailey was born in 1848 at Heathsville,Northumberland County,Virginia. He entered service at Richmond on November 23,1864 and served under Captain William Dement, Company D, 1st Maryland, Light Artillery. In the Battle of Dutch Gap and Drewry's Bluff on the James River, he was taken prisoner of war. Paroled at Appomattox on April 9,1865 and Oath of Armesty taken May 29th,1865. After the war, he was a dry goods merchant in Washington, D.C. and the father of Ralph B.Bailey. Lived at 413 6th Street,Washington, D.C. SW and was a Member of Camp# 171,Confederate Veterans.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Soon after the canceling of the stamp above, and not too far into the 1898 tax period, Mr. Scholle left the firm Sutro, Scholle & Co. Lionel Sutro's brother joined the firm and the firm became Sutro Brothers in 1899. Has anybody seen a Sutro Brothers & Company cancel? If so, please write to 1898revenues@gmail.com.

Search 1898 Revenues -- or Inquire at 1898revenues@gmail.com

The Cotton Trade in late 19th Century America

Click on Edgar Degas' painting "Cotton Exchange" to explore posts on this site from firms in the cotton trade during the 1898 tax period.

Stock Brokers at 1898 Revenues

Explore 1898 to 1902 stock broker cancels by clicking on the brokers above.

Strong Cobb & Company or Snyder, Chaffee & Company?

How did an internet auction and an observant collector in 2011 correct a mistake made by leading collectors like Clarence Chappell and Morton Dean Joyce going back 70+ years? Read Frank Sente's philatelic detective story by clicking on the stamp.

Publishing 1898 Revenues

John Langlois is the publisher of this site. He began seriously collecting 1898s in 1999, soon after his return from Liberia. Now a resident of Kenya, John publishes 1898 Revenues as a way to keep up with his collection and communicate with other collectors. Additional content contributors to this site include: Dave Thompson, Bob Hohertz, Frank Sente, Malcolm A. Goldstein, Bob Patetta, Tim Kohler, Ron Lesher, Bart Rosenberg, Len McMaster, Hermann Ivester, Richard Friedberg, J. W. Palmer, Michael Mahler, Rick Lokos, and Sean Roberts. These collectors have sent in scans and sometimes explanatory information regarding their stamps or documents for posting on this site. Dave Thompson is a prodigous supplier of material and ideas, while Malcolm, Bob H. and Frank S. have contributed posts to this site. We welcome other contributors! Write to us at 1898revenues@gmail.com.

Note on the title painting

Above is a low res image of Mort Kunstler's painting The Rough Riders. The painting depicts the 1st Volunteer US Cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt charging Kettle Hill near Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish American War. See more of Kunstler's work at http://www.mortkunstler.com/. Image copyright Mort Kunstler.

1898 Revenues Wanted

Values for Series of 1898 Revenue Stamps - The "Battleship Revenues"

Most 1898 "Battleship" stamps, whether of the documentary or the proprietary series, are fairly common and cheap stamps, despite having been issued and used more than 100 years ago. If you have one of the more common values of this series, your stamp or stamps are likely worth less than a dollar in used condition, regardless of perforation or other distinguishing characteristics.

Whether you look at online catalogs for these stamps, such as Eric Jackson's website, or you refer to a standard reference for values of these stamps like the Scott US Specialized Stamp Catalog, you will find only a few stamps of this series to be worth more than a few dollars when in used condition.

These are only example values and ranges of values for some of the more common stamps you might find in old documents or in a relative's collection, and they are only meant to be a guide. However, there are some stamps of this series that are a bit more scarce than others and consequently command higher values. In particular:

In all cases, any of these stamps found on old documents or on old products, especially the proprietary stamps, are worth far more when still on the original item or document of use. Don't remove them from the document or old box or bottle unless you are certain you know what you are doing!

Bob Hohertz on 1898 Stamped Paper

Frank Sente's American Philatelist 1898 Revenues Cover Story

In the 1950s, Morton Dean Joyce updated a list of printed cancels on the battleship proprietaries compiled by Clarence Chappell. Joyce's is a very long list consisting of more than one hundred companies and thousands of cancel dates. In the years since Joyce completed his list, many new cancel dates have been demonstrated to exist, and an update of the 1950s list is needed.

This site is attempting that update. Using the Joyce/Chappell lists and the former collection of Henry Tolman (ARA #25) as a base, a gradual effort will be made to post updated lists to the best of my knowledge, making a call for those that can contribute new dates and new images of those cancels.

Following in this column are quick links to excel files of these lists by company. Also are links to the posts that I have made on this blog regarding these companies and their cancels.

Feature: G. H. Mumm Printed Cancels

FEATURE: CHATTANOOGA MEDICINE COMPANY PRINTED CANCELS

Criteria for Cancels Included in these Updated Lists

The updated lists on this site will not include handstamped cancels. Printed and typed cancels will be included. This differs from the Chappell and Joyce criteria for inclusion.

Joyce used criteria for including cancels in his lists based on Chappell's original criteria. From the introduction of Chappell's original list: "Only the printed and typed cancels will be given consideration in this list. The only exception being those firms who also had private die stamps in this period. The handstamps of these few companies are of general interest and I feel they should be included." I don't think the "general interest" consideration is a strong enough reason to complicate an already complicated set of lists. The handstamps listed by Chappell and Joyce are not printed by definition, they are likely not exhaustive, and by virtue of being handstamps are prone to innumerable types and subtypes. I reason that if a new list is of printed cancels, we should keep it that way, and let others that have have done more work on the subject of proprietary handstamps handle those cancels.

Thus, if you are interested in the handstamp cancels of any of the firms in the updated printed cancel lists, please refer to the excellent work of Robert Mustacich and his Battleship Desk Reference at http://www.battleship-revenues.com/.

The practice of eliminating handstamp cancels from the updated lists will have implications for the revision of cancel types from the Joyce lists. For example, the first few Antikamnia cancel types according to both Joyce and Chappell are handcancels. These cancels will no longer be included as cancel types.

The goal will be to minimize confusion for those who come to collect these cancels and make sense out of them.

1898's Personal Kenya Blog

Photos from Kenya - Click on the Hyrax!

Join the American Revenue Association

Click on the seal to go to the ARA site where you can find an application